improving their projection and operational quality. Chapin attended the 1998 festival to survey operations and make specific recommendations on making the festival run better.

Chapin knew from his years of experience with events such as the Telluride Film Festival that in order to setup and run multiple venues as reliably as a cinema, they needed to treat each facility as a permanent installation, even though it was temporary. The BL&S team had considerable expertise building systems that they could transport easily for doing premiere and road show work, and they applied this tested philosophy to Sundance.

“We have very complex presentation systems that we expect to operate as if they were permanent world-class cinema and video exhibition spaces,” Chapin said. “People are coming to Sundance for that experience. Our goal is to ensure that nothing interferes with that experience.”

In 1999, BL&S put that philosophy into action, constructing subassemblies consisting of integrated projection and sound systems custom designed for each of the 15 Sundance venues. They prewired all of the components as an integrated system, just as if they were going to be installed permanently in real movie theatres. They ran the systems through a full battery of tests at their facilities in Boston to ensure that they would work properly when installed at Sundance. In mid-1999, Chapin became the technical director of the festival. Since that time, he and the rest of the BL&S team have worked continuously to improve the performance and reliability of the subassemblies.

High-definition video

In recent years, high-definition video has become a major component of the Sundance program, adding to the complexity of the presentation. All the equipment has to be active and available all the time to allow the projectionist to move between formats in a matter of minutes. To address this need, BL&S builds and installs two to three standalone projection systems for each venue, allowing for seamless movement between 16mm, 35mm, and high-definition video formats.

The team also developed an AMX-based automation system, enabling one projectionist to cleanly move between formats and control all activity, from house lights to announce microphones, without having to leave the operational side of his projector.

In 2005, Sundance designed and installed a new 700-seat venue at the Park City Racquet Club. BL&S provided the design and consultation to turn this basketball court into a premiere quality theatre. The project involved redesign of the existing air conditioning system, acoustical isolation of an adjacent exercise room, and extensive acoustical treatments. The BL&S team also designed a complete Dolby Digital sound system to provide premiere quality audio for both film and high-definition video.

Each year brings new challenges that the BL&S team readily embraces. The team continues to build on their systems, working to ensure a flawless presentation for those fortunate enough to experience Sundance.

theatres, the Grauman’s Egyptian Theatre, as well as the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, where the first Academy Awards were held.

Presenting movies as they were intended to be seen

To expand its mission of providing audiences worldwide with access to great films, TCM established a unique festival. For the festival, popular and arcane classics are shown the way they were intended to be seen—presented on the big screen, and whenever possible, in the original film format. Festival organizers needed a technical team skilled at both handling and presenting delicate archival film prints as well as precisely designing, installing, and managing the systems necessary for such a large-scale event. TCM turned to Boston Light & Sound® (BL&S) to handle this complex, high-profile project every year.

Tailoring projection equipment

Each year, festival organizers undertake weeks of preparation, including orchestral setups for silent movies, presentations of specially produced tribute reels, and on-stage interviews to be taped for future broadcast by TCM. BL&S came on board to design the intricate technical infrastructure needed for the festival. The set-up process requires the disassembly and removal of the existing projection systems in the multiplex theatres, and then specially crafting and installing replacement equipment tailored to each specific environment. This custom equipment enables the festival projectionists to run archival and one-of-a-kind feature films from studio vaults, film archives, and private collectors uncut.

Protecting archival film

As archival projection experts and classic film devotees, the BL&S team knows how to care for archival films. To protect each of the films used in the festival, BL&S sets up an offsite film handling and inspection facility near the theatres. Craftspeople specially trained in the care and handling of film prints inspect and prepare upwards of 60 films for the festival, and then carefully repackage the films afterward for their return.

Digital restorations

In keeping with TCM’s mission to showcase films in the best possible way for audiences, the TCM Film Festival has also become the place to premiere digital film restorations. Funny Girl, Oklahoma, The Sound of Music, and How Green Was My Valley restorations have all premiered at the TCM Film Festival. To ensure the ideal experience for festival goers, the BL&S team installed a world-class 4K digital Barco projection system at the Grauman’s Egyptian Theater. For every festival, the team makes sure that the equipment at all the venues meets the highest digital projection specifications.

Delivering under tight timeframes

Because the festival theatres are still being used as a commercial movie house the day before opening night, the BL&S team faces a tight time crunch to install and tune the equipment. To meet these deadlines, the BL&S crew pre-wires and tests all festival equipment at its staging center beforehand to ensure it will work properly on-site.

A dozen projection, sound, and video experts work on-site to prepare the technical infrastructure and ensure it works seamlessly “It’s all part of the challenge and the adventure of producing projects like this,” noted Chapin Cutler, BL&S Principal.

Rave reviews

BL&S has earned stellar reviews from archivists, industry insiders, and movie fans alike. As a result, TCM has continued to partner with BL&S for this highly anticipated event every year since 2010.

To solve these challenges, BL&S brought in all the necessary equipment, including a 15x35' screen, to present HD content. They then secured the AV equipment and pinned the masking system together to keep it from swaying in and out as the ship moved.

During the inaugural voyage in 2011, BL&S turned the lido deck into a “movies under the stars” venue, building a complex truss structure complete with a screen that could sustain winds speeds up to 30 mph. The BL&S team then used special black fabric designed to let air flow through to enclose the area. This ensured a brighter picture in outdoor conditions.

The maiden voyage for the festival was such a success that the cruise organizers doubled the duration of the cruise for 2013.

providing technical guidance and producing special technical events. BL&S co-founder Chapin Cutler is now one of the technical directors of the festival, responsible for ensuring that all the pictures are presented as perfectly as possible. Over the years, he’s lent his technical expertise for many one-of-a-kind cinematic experiences.

“Telluride is an exploration of everything that film can be,” Chapin said. “This is what we live for. As a technical director, and as a film lover I get to do things I would never be able to do, in any other place, in any other way. It doesn’t get any better than that.”

For the 25th anniversary of 3D movies, the BL&S team equipped the MAX Theatre to run everything from early 1927 Pathé material up to the latest 21st century 70mm theme park releases. This required an extremely precise technical configuration involving two projection systems for two separate strands of film, one for the left eye and one for the right. A third machine was required for the soundtrack. BL&S ensured that the projectors were completely synchronized with one another, balancing the machines for color and light intensity.

“Being able to run World’s Fair material from 1939 and pieces of Kiss Me Kate right up to the latest Daffy Duck animation, that’s the kind of exuberance that we get out of Telluride,” Chapin said. “Being involved in setting those projects up, and providing the expertise to make it happen is part of what Telluride special for me.”

In 2002, the BL&S team recreated the great panoramic process Cinerama, which required three special projectors interlocked together with a separate sound follower on a very deeply curved screen. The project involved designing the screen to fit into the MAX Theatre and then locating and installing the original Cinerama projection equipment from 1955.

With the help of Pacific Theatres, BL&S tracked down the necessary equipment. They set it up in Boston with their own drive systems and lamp houses to ensure that everything worked perfectly. The team installed the equipment at Telluride, presenting four thrilling Cinerama performances. “To give this to an audience is one of the most exciting things that I could have done in my entire career.”

festival incorporated traditional film systems, digital cinema, high-definition
video, projected electronic subtitling, outdoor screenings, and traditional
high-end screening facilities.

BL&S integrated all these and other presentation elements. A crew of 18 technicians supervised the installation and provided technical direction for all 20 screening venues. Locations ranged from a huge 1,500 seat outdoor amphitheatre and screening on a wharf by Doha’s bay on the Persian Gulf, to intimate multiplex-based screening spaces.

Given the lack of local technical resources, most of the festival equipment had to be shipped from the U.S. BL&S coordinated the transport of 12 tons of video, film, and digital cinema gear by boat and air cargo, and provided power conversion for the elaborate set of equipment. Additionally, BL&S made it possible to display subtitles in Arabic and English for the festival’s 160 performances.

Festival organizers know they can rely on BL&S for exceptional cinema presentations, and plan to engage the firm for next year’s event.

its first-ever film festival was a tremendous undertaking that involved turning four venues, including a bare bones auditorium, huge exhibit hall, and an outdoor amphitheatre, into cinema showcases. These venues were not intended for motion picture viewing, so all equipment needed to be flown in and brought together seamlessly. The Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) committee hired Boston Light & Sound® (BL&S) for the complex preparations.

BL&S happily took on the role of turnkey provider, determining all equipment specifications; shipping, installing, and testing equipment; collaborating with local suppliers; and handling all logistics to ensure the best presentation. After an initial fact-finding visit to Dubai several months before the event, the BL&S team pulled together all the necessary resources.

Seven projection and sound specialists flew to Dubai, bringing with them 80 crates of equipment, including giant portable screens, movable masking for remote controlled opening and closing of theatre curtains, a complete set of projection system spares, four complete Dolby sound systems with enough spares to build three more, etc.

Once there, the team set out to create world-class presentation theatres, working alongside local vendors to ensure that every piece of equipment was properly installed and calibrated. For the outdoor amphitheatre, an enormous structure was constructed to support and protect the screen from wind and constructed platforms for an array of high-fidelity speakers.

BL&S conducted rigorous tests before the event to ensure the best presentation possible. Technicians tested dozens of lenses to find the one with the ideal throw distance for each venue. Lamphouses and reflectors were chosen to achieve ideal brightness and evenness across the screens. The team brought in isolation systems to eliminate any sound disturbances from the movement of the projectors. The equipment was selected or modified to run on local power which is different than the US or Europe. BL&S has power distribution and conversion technology allowing operation anywhere in the world.

The festival opened to much acclaim. His Highness Sheikh Ahmed, the festival chairman, praised the DIFF team on their exhaustive readiness, expressing his confidence in the inaugural festival.

The outdoor venue opened with a screening of Lawrence of Arabia — the first-ever showing ever of this film on the Arabian peninsula.

CineVegas, Las Vegas, NV
Cinetex, Las Vegas, NV
Cleveland FF, OH
Copeland FF, Lenox, MA
Doha Tribeca FF, Doha, Qatar
Dominican Republic Intl. FF
Dubai Intl. FF, Dubai UAE
Guadalajara Intl. FF, Mexico
Hamptons International FF, NY
Hawaii Intl. FF, HI
Las Vegas FF, NV
Maine International FF, ME
Nantucket FF, MA
New Hampshire FF, Keene, NH
New Haven FF, CT
Newport FF, RI
Palm Springs Intl FF, CA
Provincetown FF, MA
Rhode Island FF, Providence, RI
Sarasota FF, Sarasota, FL
Seattle International FF, WA
Slamdance FF, UT
Traverse City FF, MI
Tribeca FF, NYC
TCM Classic FF, Hollywood, CA
Waterfront FF, MI
Zoinks!! FF, MA